Plans revealed for FOUR new bank holidays every year

Southport looking stunning in the sunshine as visitors flood into the town. Hundreds of people pack into Southport Pier. Photo by Dave Brown of Dave Brown Photography

People living in Southport and West Lancashire are looking forward to our first May Bank Holiday this Monday (May 1) - but we could soon be enjoying FOUR more bank holidays each year.

If a Labour government is elected on June 8, leader Jeremy Corbyn has promised to to create new UK-wide bank holidays.

Mr Corbyn wants the new breaks to take place on each country’s patron saint day - St David’s Day on March 1, St Patrick’s Day on March 17, St George’s Day on April 23 and St Andrew’s Day on November 30.

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The Labour leader says he is considering the four dates because the UK currently has fewer bank holidays than other leading European countries.

Mr Corbyn also hopes that his idea would “celebrate the national cultures of our proud nations”.

People in England and Wales currently enjoy eight bank holidays a year, Scotland nine, and Northern Ireland 10. Labour says the average for G20 countries is 12.

Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood, welcomed the idea - telling the BBC her party had supported a holiday on St David’s Day for many years.